Poultry and captive bird keepers

H5 bird flu is a serious strain of H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) that spreads easily and can cause severe illness or death in poultry, wild birds, and some mammals.

H5 bird flu could have major impacts on kept birds, backyard flocks, commercial poultry, native wildlife, and the economy. Authorities are closely monitoring the global and local situation.

As a bird owner, you can help protect your birds and others by staying alert:

• Watch for signs of illness such as sudden death, breathing problems, swelling, or changes in behaviour.
• Avoid contact with wild birds, especially if they appear sick or dead.
• Keep your birds enclosed and away from areas where wild birds gather.
• Report unusual illness or deaths in your birds to your vet or call the Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) Hotline on 1800 675 888 (24/7).

Early detection and reporting are essential to reduce the potential impact of this disease.

Why an outbreak of H5 bird flu matters

Bird flu outbreaks overseas have caused major losses in poultry industries and widespread deaths among wild birds and marine mammals.

An outbreak in Australia could have serious impacts on:

• commercial poultry farms
• backyard flocks and hobby poultry keepers
• native and migratory birds
• trade and export markets

How bird flu spreads

The virus spreads through:

• direct contact between infected and healthy birds
• contact with contaminated equipment, cages, vehicles, feed or water
• faeces, saliva or other secretions from infected birds
• people, footwear and clothing carrying the virus between sites

Wild birds, particularly migratory waterbirds, can carry the virus without showing signs of illness.

Signs of bird flu in poultry and captive birds

Clinical signs of infection with H5 bird flu in birds include:

• sudden death without clinical signs
• lethargy or reluctance to walk, eat or drink
• droopy appearance or ruffled feathers
• purple discolouration or bruising of the wattles, combs and legs
• respiratory signs such as panting, nasal discharge, coughing or sneezing
• swelling around the head and neck, incoordination, inability to walk or stand
• watery or green diarrhoea
• sudden decrease in egg production

What to do if you suspect bird flu

Early detection is key to minimising the impact of H5N1 avian influenza (H5 bird flu).

If you see unusual disease signs, behaviour, or unexplained death in your poultry or kept birds:

• avoid contact with sick or dead birds or wildlife and their surroundings
• record what you observe
• report groups of sick or dead birds immediately to your veterinarian or contact the EAD Hotline on 1800 675 888

Bird flu is a notifiable animal disease, which means you must, by law, report a suspect bird flu case or outbreak.

How to protect your birds from bird flu

You can reduce the risk of bird flu entering your property by practising good biosecurity. Follow these steps:

Maintain cleanliness

• clean sheds, yards, aviaries and equipment with detergent
• after cleaning, disinfect with household bleach or a disinfectant effective against viruses (for example, F10 or Virkon S)
• implement effective pest control.

Provide safe water

• use clean, chlorinated domestic water for drinking and washing
• keep birds away from natural water sources such as streams, dams and ponds

Limit wild bird contact

• place food and water inside shelters to prevent contamination
• use fencing or netting to separate free-range birds from wild birds

Quarantine new birds

• isolate new birds before adding them to your flock
• monitor them closely for any signs of illness

Control visitor access

• minimise the movement of people, vehicles and equipment to and from bird areas and keep records of movements
• check whether visitors have been in contact with other birds or poultry

Maintain records

• Keep records of poultry, captive bird and egg movements.

Avoid mixing at bird shows

• prevent your birds from having direct contact with birds from other flocks
• clean and disinfect equipment and cages after attending shows or markets

Practise good hygiene

• wash hands thoroughly before and after handling birds or eggs
• wear clean clothes and footwear when entering enclosures
• keep a separate set of boots and clothing for working with birds if possible

Prepare a farm biosecurity plan

The following resources can assist poultry producers to improve biosecurity at their facilities and reduce the risk of significant disease in their enterprise.

• National Farm Biosecurity Manual - poultry production
• Farm Biosecurity Action Planner
• Farm biosecurity signage

Human health

Although avian influenza viruses do not normally infect humans, some strains, including H5 bird flu, have been associated with disease in humans.

Standard infection-control practices should always be implemented when handling animals, regardless of the perceived risk.

At a minimum, maintain hygiene for hands, equipment and facilities, and carefully manage the movement of animals and items between locations.

If you need to manage sick and dead birds, correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will help to protect you and your staff from infection from H5 bird flu and other zoonotic diseases that birds can carry.

The level of PPE required depends on the level of anticipated contact with sick or dead birds or their eggs, waste and bedding

NSW Health advises that, at a minimum, PPE must include:

• disposable gloves or gloves that can be disinfected
• close-fitting mask/respirator (must be rated P2/N95 protection level)
• eye protection
• protective footwear that can be cleaned
• no touch technique (e.g. use of equipment to pick up and dispose of carcass)
• proper cleaning and disinfection of equipment and materials.

Also:

• perform hand hygiene with an alcohol-based hand rub or by washing hands with soap and water if visibly soiled; this should be done regularly, especially before and after contact with animals/carcasses and their environments.
• avoid touching the nose, eyes or mouth with the hands during work/collecting and disposing of carcasses.
• showering and changing into clean clothes after work, if feasible, is also recommended.

Further information about avian influenza can be found on the NSW Health website.

H5 bird flu and poultry industries

H5 bird flu is causing significant poultry losses overseas, and similar impacts are likely here if there is an outbreak in poultry flocks.

The H7 HPAI bird flu outbreak in Victoria, NSW and the ACT in 2024 saw 1.8 million birds destroyed.

Access to some export markets for poultry products and affected commodities will be disrupted during an outbreak. If the disease is widespread in poultry, Australian consumers will likely experience product shortages and increased prices.

The current default response to H5 bird flu in poultry is to contain, control and eradicate the disease using stamping out (i.e. destruction of infected and in-contact animals) without vaccination. The Australian Government has provided $1.95 million to Animal Health Australia to support national response capability in poultry, including a report on the availability of bird flu vaccines suitable for Australian bird species.

Vaccination has not been necessary in past Australian outbreaks, but overseas it has been useful in managing H5 bird flu in poultry and other captive birds. If there is an outbreak in poultry, the use of vaccination will be considered by the Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases, which brings together each jurisdiction’s Chief Veterinary Officer, disease experts and livestock industry representatives.

There is no effective treatment for poultry infected with H5 bird flu.

In recognition of the H5 bird flu threat, the Australian Government, states and territories, and the poultry industries are investing more than $100 million to enhance national preparedness and response capability.

This funding will strengthen surveillance, preparedness and response capability, and help mitigate the impacts of a potential H5 bird flu outbreak on Australian agriculture, the environment and human health.